WHEREAS, a
year-long precipitation deficit, coupled with an extended period
of above-average temperatures during July and August, dramatically
increased water use demands and exacerbated the drain on available
water supplies; and

WHEREAS, Executive
Order No. 98 was issued on August 5, 1999, for the purpose of declaring
a state of water emergency due to drought conditions throughout
New Jersey, characterized by unusually hot, dry weather conditions
and significantly depleted surface and ground water levels, including
unprecedented low stream flows across the State; and

WHEREAS, coordinated
water management measures exercised by water suppliers, municipalities,
counties, and the State, including water conservation efforts and
voluntary and mandatory water use restrictions, effectively curtailed
water use demands and allowed for the preservation of available
supplies; and

WHEREAS, Executive
Order No. 100 was issued on September 14, 1999, in order to modify
the areas designated under the water emergency due to drought conditions,
by removing eight southern New Jersey counties; and

WHEREAS, abundant
rainfall across the State, due in large part to the remnants of
Hurricane Floyd, contributed significantly to eradication of the
year-long precipitation deficit, restoration of stream flows, and
replenishment of water supply storage in critical northeastern New
Jersey reservoirs; and

WHEREAS, the
year-long precipitation deficit, while moderated by recent rains,
continues in many areas, and the rainfall associated with Hurricane
Floyd produced widespread flooding and surface water runoff rather
than sustained groundwater replenishment; and

WHEREAS, concerns
regarding long-term climatic trends suggest that considerable attention
must still be devoted to the stabilization of available water supplies
through efficient management and prudent use of the resource; and

WHEREAS, it
is appropriate and necessary to remain vigilant by continuing voluntary
water conservation practices that are beneficial and essential to
the preservation of available water supplies;

NOW, THEREFORE,
I, Christine Todd Whitman, Governor of the State of New Jersey,
by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and
by the Statutes of this State, do hereby DECLARE, ORDER and DIRECT,
as follows:

1. A state
of water emergency, as declared by Executive Order No. 98, due
to the drought no longer exists anywhere within the State and
is hereby terminated in those counties as to which it was not
previously terminated by Executive Order No. 100, issued September
14, 1999.

2. All persons
are urged to use water wisely and to comply fully with water use
measures imposed by the Department of Environmental Protection,
applicable municipalities and counties, or water suppliers servicing
their areas.

3. This
Order shall take effect immediately.

GIVEN,
under my hand and seal
this 27th day of September in the
Year of Our Lord, One Thousand
Nine Hundred and Nintety-Nine,
and of the Independence of the
United States, the Two Hundred
and Twenty-Fourth.